1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image reading device which reads an image recorded in a film, for example, using an optical sensor, and more particularly, relates to an improvement for reducing electric power consumption of the image reading device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there is known an image reading system which has an image reading device, in which an image recorded in a film is read by a line sensor, and a computer, which is connected to the image reading device to indicate the image on a screen of a display unit connected to the computer. In the image reading system, prior to a regular scanning operation which is an image reading operation for recording the image data in a recording medium, a pre-scanning operation is performed in which the image is read with a coarser pitch than the regular scanning operation. A pre-view image obtained by the pre-scanning operation is indicated on a screen of the display unit of the computer, so that the user of the image reading system can watch the pre-view image and adjust various parameters, to obtain the desired image quality.
It is also known that there is an image reading device which can operate without a computer, i.e. in a stand-alone mode, to record image data in a recording medium. In such a device, if a liquid crystal display is provided to indicate a pre-view image, a problem would occur in which electric power consumption is large because of the liquid crystal display.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an image reading device which can operate both in the remote mode and the stand-alone mode without consuming a large amount of electric power.
According to the present invention, there is provided an image reading device for reading an image recorded in a recording medium, using an optical sensor, the device being connected to a computer having a display unit, the device comprising a transmitting processor, a liquid crystal display and a control processor.
The transmitting processor transmits an image signal corresponding to the image to the computer in a remote mode, so that the image is indicated by the display unit. The liquid crystal display indicates the image in a stand-alone mode, in which the device is operated independently from the computer. The liquid crystal display has a back-light. The control processor, in the remote mode, turns OFF the back-light of the liquid crystal display, and in the stand-alone mode, turns ON the liquid crystal display and the back-light.
Further, according to the present invention, there is provided an image reading device which is operated in a remote mode, in which a computer is connected to the device and an image read by the device is indicated by a display unit of the computer, and in a stand-alone mode, in which the device is operated independently from the computer and the image is indicated by a liquid crystal display connected to the device, characterized in that, in the remote mode, a back-light of the liquid crystal display is turned OFF, and in the stand-alone mode, the liquid crystal display and the back-light are turned ON.